Nothing can come between best friends, not even a rare disease.
If any two besties know this, it's 8-year-old Dylan Siegel and his friend Jonah Pournazarian. Jonah suffers from a rare liver disorder known as glycogen storage disease type 1B, which causes the patient's blood sugar to drop to dangerously low levels. This week, Dylan officially raised $1 million dollars to help find a cure for his best friend.
But the money didn't appear overnight.
When a then-6-year-old Dylan discovered the lack of funds to help with GDS research, he wrote a book called Chocolate Bar, and began to sell copies at a school event. He named the book after his preschool friend Jonah, because Jonah is "chocolate bar," which is Dylan's code for "awesome," ABC News reported.
CBS reported earlier this November that Chocolate Bar had raised over $900,000. And as of this December, 25,000 copies and 60 countries later, he's finally reached the million dollar mark.
Dylan doesn't plan on stopping until his bestie is cured, though. Luckily, scientists say they're getting closer, thanks to his help.
According to the Chocolate Bar website, all proceeds from the book have went to the University of Florida, where a research team is working to find the cure.
"It's now reality, it's not just a dream that these children can be cured," GSD expert Dr. David Weinstein told ABC.
The Huffington Post reported that after news broke of reaching the $1 million dollar mark, Team Chocolate Bar emailed this statement:
We are humbled by your love, generosity and support through this remarkable journey and thank you from the depths of our overwhelmed hearts.
That's so "chocolate bar."
Watch video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxpocO7HSAo
